Much Ado About Nothing
by Tatsumaki-sama
Summary: Like all good friends, Luffy and Zoro have a disagreement. But like all good friends, can they fix their problem?
1. SOS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters.

**This story was originally inspired by a little doujinshi called _Much Ado About Nothing_, in which some events and ****the title**** are prompted by it. However, there are certain details that were significantly changed from the original doujinshi. I don't own it, only my own ideas.**

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**Much Ado About Nothing**

Chapter 1 – S.O.S.

" Stupid Luffy," he growled to himself.

He furiously shoved his hands in his pockets, hunching over as he walked down the busy, crowded street. The mere presence of his exasperation flowed out, simmering dangerously at the border. All people passing by quickly stepped aside, avoiding the scowling swordsman, not wanting to risk their lives to anger him. A vicious aura pulsed through the man, sweeping through the streets, making the air turn dark and ominous. It was as if the warmth from the bright afternoon sun was dulled and stolen away by the very footsteps of this man.

Earlier that day, it was his and Luffy's turn to wash the dishes. Luffy was as clumsy and inattentive as usual, many dinnerware squealing to escape from his careless hands. So Zoro told him to give him all the more delicate dishes and cups to him, so a certain cook and navigator wouldn't kill them later for it. He extended a hand out to pluck it from his captain's soapy hands, but Luffy whisked the dish out of his reach, sticking out his tongue childishly, insisting that he got it under control. Patience waning thin, Zoro attempted to make a grab for it and his fingers managed to nab part of the plate. But, of course, Luffy wasn't willing to give the plate to Zoro and he wasn't willing to let it go. Thus, the poor dish was unfortunately pulled into a brief but terrible tug of war, resulting in its destruction. Unfortunately for them, at that very moment, both Sanji and Nami walked in and found out what had happened to the dish.

It was all Luffy's fault, Zoro had insisted. But no, the rubber man blamed it on him instead, claiming he had pulled too hard on the plate and that's what caused the plate to break. Like he doesn't have monstrously strength too. Neither Sanji or Nami listened or cared. They promptly banished the two of them from the kitchen for the whole day. Luffy and Zoro immediately began protesting and accusing the other, till the point they were lunging at each other, kicking and punching, destroying a few more innocent dinnerware caught in the middle (not to mention some chairs and the table unintentionally as well). At this, Nami got really angry, bodily throwing them both out. Left with no sympathies, Zoro resorted to grumbling and complaining. If Luffy hadn't seized the plate and fought for it, it wouldn't have broken and none of them would be in this mess in the first place. But no, no one would listen to him.

Why he followed this idiotic captain of his, even he wasn't too sure. Half of the time, Luffy doesn't even act like a captain and more like a little bratty kid majority of the time. And to make matters worse, Luffy being stubborn as always, refused to talk to him all day today, not even glancing at him at all. He ignored Zoro when Sanji had thrown them scrapes of food during lunchtime, not even striving to steal from Zoro's plate, like he normally does. Well, if Luffy was going to behave like that, then so can he. For he cared, Luffy can go drown in the nearest river.

Suddenly, there was a shout, panicky and distraught. " A kid fell into the river!" Curious, Zoro peered over the heads of a crowd that immediately began swarming towards the edge of the river. There were urgent cries which infected the mob of people and someone rushed off to grab a rope to pull the poor soul from the raging river.

At first, he couldn't see anything except for the murky, churning water sloshing over its banks. A woman worriedly exclaimed how the downpour from yesterday is causing the river to act up. Anyone, let alone a child, could easily fall in. " It couldn't be …" he muttered to himself, dreading the answer that hovered precariously in his mind. Even that idiot wouldn't be that much of an idiot to go jumping into rivers. Especially wild, treacherous rivers like this one. That was when he caught sight of a familiar mop of black hair and a faint gurgle of help.

Instinct took over and before he knew it, Zoro had dove into the river, with shouts of protests and of alarm from the surrounding onlookers. He ignored them as he frantically swam against the current, fighting to reach the sinking person in the distance.

_Can't he stay out of trouble, even for one minute?! _

He grabbed the figure, just before it sank to the muddy depths of the river. " Luffy, you moron!" Zoro yelled, wanting to pound some common sense into him. " What are you doing -?"

It wasn't Luffy. It was simply a kid, who had unluckily tripped and fell into the river. He wailed for his mother, tears mixing with the salty waters, suddenly clamping a tight hold on Zoro's neck. Sighing, he managed to drag the kid back to shore, where the kid's hysterical mother ran towards them, crying in relief and endlessly thanking Zoro. Both mother and son cried and embraced, sobbing together as one. The crowd of people flocked over from the side to them, applauding, cheering joyously for the rescue of the boy and slapping Zoro good-naturally on the back.

Just when he was about to escape from all the commotion and people, he felt a tiny tug at his dripping sleeve. " Sorry about the trouble," the kid shyly apologized, gazing up at the much taller man from underneath the fluffy white towel someone, presumably his mother, had handed to him. The sheepish, puppy-eye look reminded Zoro of a certain someone he knew.

The corners of his mouth twitched. Just slightly. " Don't fall into anymore rivers, kid," he replied, ruffling the kid's hair.

" Thanks, mister!" he shouted cheerfully, sporting a toothy grin similar to that same person he knew, before running back to where his mother was.

" Hey, swordsman!" someone from the crowd called out at him. He didn't even bother to turn around. " Don't you want to wait for your clothes to dry? Here, we got some towels for you ..."

Shrugging, Zoro waved a careless hand in the air. " Nah, it'll dry as I walk." The stranger tried to make another attempt to convince him otherwise, but his efforts gradually faded and died off as Zoro strolled back to the streets, wringing the hem of his shirt to squeeze the water out as he went. He decided it was time he headed back to the ship and also to say something to a certain lunatic, even if that blockhead didn't deserve it.

Now which way was it back to Going Merry again?


	2. Where's The Fun?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters.

Chapter 2 – Where's The Fun?

" Stupid Zoro," he pouted as he headed down the street.

His trademark grin was currently gone on vacation and replaced by a pouting frown. Normally, Luffy would be all hyped up by this new town that they had stopped by to replenish their supplies, the smell of adventure waving temptingly in front of his nose. Just looking at the swarming people in the streets and merchants with their fascinating merchandises would have made him shiver, jump and scream in excitement and joy. But today, he wasn't in the mood for an adventure. Especially with the fight that had taken place earlier that same day.

It wasn't his fault that he had broken the dish when it had been his and Zoro's turn to wash the dishes after breakfast. He had been having so much fun watching the soap bubbles skipping over his fingers and trying to pop them, he really wasn't paying attention to the dishes. When Zoro tried to take the dishes from him, claiming that he was too clumsy to handle such trivial things, Luffy rebelled and refused to hand the dish to him. He can handle washing the dishes, thank you very much. Why did Zoro have to insist on treating him like a baby?

It was Zoro who pulled too hard, his monstrous strength too overwhelming for the fragile plate to handle, cracking and shattering right down from the middle. If Zoro hadn't fought with him about who got to wash the dish, the poor plate's demolished remains wouldn't be in the trash can and they wouldn't be boycotted from the beloved kitchen, where the prospect of food and meat cried for his attention.

He whined and begged, even going as far as pulling his infamous puppy eyes, but there was nothing he could do to reform Nami or Sanji's decision on the matter. Fortunately, Sanji didn't let him starve, leaving two inadequate plates of food outside the kitchen door. Still, the others were of no help. Robin seemed slightly amused by the situation, while Usopp and Chopper did try to sneak a few extra pieces of meat for him, but Sanji caught them and they made no further attempts. And Zoro, who downright accused and admonished _him_ for causing the whole mess ... the nerve of that jerk! Luffy absolutely refused to speak to Zoro for the rest of the morning. He didn't bother trying to steal from Zoro's plate, not even once. In his exasperation, Luffy left to go exploring as soon as Going Merry landed, without waiting for the others. He would prove to Zoro he could handle walking to the nearest town all by himself. He didn't need help from anyone else, much less Zoro.

So here he was, wandering down the street, aimlessly weaving between people and stores. Upon seeing dancing puppets in a shop, his eyes widening at the sight, Luffy pressed his face against the window, excitedly and ravenously curious. The dolls all moved to the silent commands of the puppeteer, lightly and cheerfully jiggling and skipping the music playing nearby from an organ grinder in a corner. One of the puppets, a funny looking clown with a nose in resemblance to Usopp, jerked its arm, its tiny wooden hand twitching, as if beckoning Luffy into the store to buy it.

Laughing out loud, Luffy blindly reached out behind for a sleeve. " Come on Zoro!" He giggled in excitement like a little child being offered candy. Or in this case, a toy. " I wanna get a closer look at the puppet. Zoro? Zoro! What's taking you so -?"

Turning around, it was then that Luffy realized that all this time, he had been talking to and reaching for nothing but the air. Scowling, he jammed his beloved straw hat a little harder than he would have liked onto his head. " Like I need that idiot!" he proclaimed loudly, causing bystanders to turn and stare. He continued down the street, gazing at the other stores and feeling forlorn, despite the people beset around him on all sides.

Sure, it was lots of fun to go on adventures and explorations, but it wasn't any fun without someone to share the fun with. Usopp and Chopper always provide a good time. Sanji usually purchase whatever food he wanted, with certain exceptions. Same goes with Nami, though often she included a stricter code of what to buy. Robin ... well, she just let him do whatever.

But none of them are Zoro. Whenever Luffy was with the swordsman, there is an air of security, of comfort and assurance carried by Zoro, that no matter what, everything will be all right. One of his enjoyments traveling with Zoro, is the fact they always, always, one hundred percent guaranteed, get lost. Of course, he would laugh and Zoro would lead them both aimlessly around and round until they miraculously somehow found their way back to the Going Merry, where their remaining crew would yell and lecture them about coming back so late. There was never any disappointment in his adventures with Zoro, whenever and wherever they went.

His little, haphazard stroll took him to, interestingly enough, a glassware store. Maybe if he bought some new dishes, Sanji would allow him back into the kitchen. Smiling gleefully at his brilliant idea, Luffy entered the store, head twisting to find the perfect plate. He trailed from shelf to shelf, carefully examining each plate, cup, bowl and cutlery, trying to pinpoint one that resembled its predecessor.

But what caught his eye, was the ostentatious, highly decorative bowl, made from jade and porcelain. A dragon was carved into its side, following a flamboyant phoenix, who just fluttered out of its scaly reach. Clouds, trees, mountains and faraway birds were etched extravagantly surrounding this elusive dance of cat and mouse. So entranced was Luffy, he couldn't help extending a finger to touch the dragon, one finger stroking its elaborate scales, trailing to its opened mouth -

" Watch it, kid!"

Before Luffy knew it, his hand was snatched away and there was a sudden pain nipping at his finger. To his surprise, the dragon's edged teeth had slitted his rubbery flesh, the ruby droplets trickling down his finger proved it so.

" What were you thinking?" He looked up to a young man, presumably the storekeeper, who had grabbed his hand, and currently looked concerned and annoyed at the same time. " Didn't you see the sign that said _Do not touch_?" the man snapped, angrily jabbing a thumb towards the crisp white sign, with the words in a bold, loopy print. Luffy only shrugged, which caused him to scowl deeper. " A piece of it could have gotten stuck in your finger and then what? The bowl would be ruined and I would lose business."

He paused in his little rant, peering at Luffy's finger, examining it carefully. Satisfied that nothing pierced into the skin, he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, ripping a corner of it and binding it around Luffy's finger. " Geez, kids these days. Are you this much trouble to your family?"

" Most of the time," Luffy truthfully said, watching like a little child as the handkerchief was tightened and wrapped in a tiny bow on his finger.

The man gave him a look, one that simply said are-you-serious-you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me-what-have-i-gotten-myself-into, similar to the look of a certain person that Luffy knows quite well, who happened to use that look very often. " Then, just be more careful next time, won't you? And try not to cause them too much grief."

With another mutter about troublesome kids, the storekeeper ambled off back to the counter, leaving Luffy standing with his finger wrapped up in the handkerchief. He liked that man. He was rather funny.

That's when Luffy noticed a set of plates arranged to the side of the beautifully ornamental bowl, where most people would have casually neglect them in favor of the more elaborate bowl. They were a green hue, like the eyes and hair of a certain swordsman, without any fancy designs or embellishments like its neighbor. In fact, it would appear to be plain and boring (much like the same swordsman) compared to the porcelain bowl.

However, it couldn't be anymore perfect.

" Hey, mister!" The storekeeper turned his head to see Luffy brightly hugging the green plates to his chest, very careful not to drop a single one. " Can I buy this one?"


	3. To Forgive And Forget

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters.

**Well, this is it. The last chapter of _Much Ado About Nothing_. Thank you very much to all those who reviewed. You've made one author very, very happy. So this one is for you guys. Hope you enjoy this last segment and please review!  
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**Chapter 3 -** To Forgive And Forget

Finally! It took a miracle (along with lots of people helping and plenty of direction signs) to find his way back to the ship. Zoro felt mildly impressed with himself. Ha! He'd shown that stupid cook that he could find his way perfectly around without getting lost. And he would be sure to rub in it in Sanji's face, he grinned as he climbed aboard Merry's ladder.

Just on the other side of the ship, not knowing that he wasn't the only one clambering about, grinning hugely, was Luffy leaping on board. He cradled the little package to his chest carefully. With this set of new plates, he was guaranteed to get back into the kitchen with Sanji and Nami's good graces.

That was when they both realized they had company.

For a minute, they looked at each other, with annoyance, vexation and silent displeasure. Green flicked towards brown and both clashed in the most terrifying way. If one strained their eyes hard enough, they would be able to see the sizzling and crackling of the air between them.

Zoro scowled, his forehead creased. Luffy frowned, his eyes narrowed.

A dangerous sign that neither of them were pleased.

A wiser man might quickly duck his head and ran off in the opposite direction, if he valued his life. However, Zoro was wise enough to know that since he was the older, more mature one out of the two of them, he would have to be the one to initiate the conversation. Since Luffy was going to be too stubborn about it, he might as well say it first. Or else this wordless war of theirs will continue forever. Not to mention neither of them will be allowed in the kitchen ever again.

" Hey, Luffy - " he began.

Without glancing at Zoro, Luffy walked right by him, nose in the air. Indignantly, Zoro followed, fighting the temptation to slug his captain one across the face. " What's your problem?" he growled, each step he took conveying his amplifying irritation. " I didn't even finish my sentence yet!"

" Then finish it," Luffy curtly said, still walking away from him, his back facing Zoro.

Spluttering, Zoro clenched his jaw from dropping at the immaturity of his captain. He was acting like a spoiled brat! Seeing no other method of getting Luffy's attention, he grabbed the boy's wrist, yanking him back. " Wait!" he yelled through clenched teeth.

Determined not to turn around, Luffy strained against Zoro's hold, his arm stretching helplessly, as he continued walking, staring straight ahead. " As if!"

" Just listen to me, will you?!"

Luffy took a step forward, twisting to get out of Zoro's grip. And Zoro retaliated by holding on more harder.

Then, one of Luffy's sandals slipped on the smooth surface of Merry. The force of his rubber arm became too much and Luffy's entire body was suddenly flung backwards, crashing right into Zoro before any of them could stop it.

The next thing Luffy knew, he was sprawled across Zoro's long legs, tangled in them, with Zoro's body slumped over him. They had been hurled right into Merry's side, smashing into her so hard that cracks in her wooden boards already begun to spread and bloat in deep fissures. Wincing, he sat up, trying to push Zoro's head away from leaning heavily against his shoulder.

" Zoro? You okay?" he asked. When Zoro didn't answer, Luffy raised his head, looking over the green mass that was hair, shaking Zoro's head with a hand. " Zoro?" he asked again, a little louder. It wasn't like Zoro not to answer him.

Then, to his horror, his palm came away, sticky with blood.

And Zoro still wasn't moving.

" ZORO!"

Frantically, Luffy grabbed the front of Zoro's shirt and shook him hard, so hard that his head lolled back and forth. He tried to ignore the crimson trail seeping down and the way his heart was beating too fast and how his hands felt too slippery on Zoro's shirt, one hand covered in blood and both damp with sweat, and how time seemed to drag by too slowly, too painfully long, too tense for his own comfort and he could hear himself calling Zoro's name again and again, telling him to wake up, wake up, wake up, zoro, please, are you all right?, wake up, zoro, wake -

A hand came up and gruffly pushed him away, slapping his shaking hands away. " 'M all right." Zoro groaned, rubbing his forehead, blinking the blood out of his eyes. He had to grab Luffy by the shoulders to ensure that he wouldn't shake him anymore and make his headache any worse than it already is. " I'm all right," he repeated, slower, carefully for him to hear.

Suddenly, Luffy laughed, causing Zoro to jump back in surprise. He laughed so hard that his head needed to rest against Zoro's shoulder to support himself, his body racked with giggles. " I'm glad!" he managed to choke out before being overwhelmed by another bout of laughter. Not knowing what else he could do, Zoro simply allowed Luffy to lean against him, waiting for the laughter to subside.

Finally, Luffy's body relaxed. Zoro could feel him sighing against his shoulder, face hidden by the folds of his shirt, while one hand clasped his shirt agitatedly. " I was afraid that you were dead," he murmured. " There was blood and you weren't moving and I thought you were dead."

Zoro blinked, not knowing what to say. It wasn't something he was expecting from his captain, who always seemed so cheerful and happy-go-lucky. They were pirates. Death was something they faced everyday. It came as a bit of a shock that it would affect Luffy to this extent. After all, this was a man who laughed and teased death anywhere and everywhere he went.

But he supposed that even the strongest had their fears and Luffy's was losing his nakama. More than anything else in the world. Even more than One Piece.

With a scoff that held no mockery, he casually ruffled Luffy's hair, almost like to reassure him. " Like I would die that easily," he scowled. " I just hit my head on whatever was in that." He pointed at the package that dangled from Luffy's arm, forgotten.

Frowning, Luffy peeled open the package and peered inside. The green plates were untouched and as perfect as he had found them.

" Plates?"

" Yep. To replace the broken ones."

He stared at Luffy, stunned that Luffy would rather spend money on a few plates rather than buy his favourite foods. " I didn't break any, did I?" Zoro quickly asked, sitting up straight, worried that he had wrecked all of Luffy's hard work.

Barely glancing at them, Luffy shook his head. " No, they're fine." He was more concerned with the fresh cut at Zoro's forehead. " What about your cut? Does it hurt?"

Zoro ran his fingers over the cut, wincing only slightly at the touch. " It just looks worse than it is," he shrugged.

" Good."

Only then did Luffy finally loosen his hold on Zoro's shirt. That was when Luffy realized that Zoro's shirt was wet and smelled strongly of salt. " Did you fall into a river or something?" he inquired, tilting his head curiously at the swordsman.

To his surprise, Zoro flushed and quickly turned away, embarrassed. " I jumped in a river to save a kid I thought was you," he muttered, refusing to look at Luffy.

Eyes widening, Luffy gazed at him like he had never seen him before. Then, he burst out laughing.

" You're such an idiot, Zoro!" he giggled.

Irritated, he snapped angrily. This was what he got for his troubles? " What did you say - ?"

Without warning, Luffy tackled him in a tight hug, wrapping his arms around his waist. Which Zoro didn't quite expected.

" Thanks, Zoro. For saving me."

" But I didn't - " he started, confused.

" Still, you saved me."

Luffy released him from his hug to look at Zoro straight in the eye, smiling at him, revealing his honest sincerity and gratitude to his first mate for what he did and what he would do for him.

The corners of Zoro's mouth curled the tiniest bit. " No problem. Captain," he added.

They both looked at each other with an understanding that flowed between them, something that most people wouldn't and couldn't recognize. They fight, argue, disagree, relent, make up and remain the same afterwards. It was how they interacted and communicated, as weird as it may be. And strangely, it worked too.

Very, very, very well.

Finally, Luffy spoke first.

" Sorry that I didn't give you the dish."

" Sorry that I broke it."

A little smile dawned on Luffy's face. " We both screwed up, huh?"

" Yeah." Zoro leaned back against Merry's side, feeling exhausted and at the same time, at ease. " Guess we did."

" Do we still have to apologize to Sanji and Nami?"

" Unfortunately."

" But." A mischievous light gleamed from Luffy's eyes. " Neither of them are here right now."

Zoro fought hard not to sigh. He already half-suspected what was on Luffy's mind at the moment. " No, they're not," he said wearily.

" Then, if we hurry, we can raid the fridge before the others come back!" Luffy exclaimed with his familiar grin back on his face. He bounded up in a fluid movement, tugging at Zoro's arm. " Hurry! Before they see us!"

Shaking his head and with a shadow of smile, Zoro immediately followed.

**The End**


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